Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM's speech at foundation laying ceremony of various development projects in Silvassa
My dear brothers and sisters,
Today I am once again with you as your Prime Servant. But even before that, whether Daman, Diu, or Silvassa, or any village here is not new to me. I have had the opportunity to come here several times. I have had the opportunity to roam on the roads of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu on a scooter. I am familiar with the food, the rituals and the culture of this place. Whenever I come here, I am reminded of everything, all the old memories. Your love has overwhelmed me!
Friends,
When I came here in the month of April in 2017, I had laid the foundation stones of various schemes. I am glad that most of the work has been completed in such a short span of time and many of those schemes are being launched today. Today, as I am here before you again, projects worth more than Rs 1400 crore have either been inaugurated or their foundation stones have been laid. These projects, the New Industrial Policy and the new IT policy have also been launched here today to promote the industries here related to connectivity, infrastructure, health and education, tourism, culture and heritage. Many congratulations to you all for these gifts in the New Year.
Brothers and sisters,
The central government is working on the mantra of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas' and is fully dedicated to the 5 streams of development - Education for children, income for the youth, medicines for the elderly, irrigation to the farmers and listening to the masses. It is a highway of development for us. I am also glad to see that the development of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli has reached new heights in the last five years. Both these areas have created a new identity. In many respects, both of these have progressed from incompleteness as the Union Territories towards perfection. Today Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli have declared themselves Open Defecation Free. Today every house in both the areas has LPG connection and both have been declared kerosene free. Today all the houses in both the Union Territories have electricity connection. There is water supply. Today, the poor people of these two areas who are eligible to get houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana have been sanctioned houses. Today, eligible people from both the areas have been issued the gold cards under Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Friends,
If I talk about the last three years, about nine thousand crore rupees have been invested in these two Union Territories. You can imagine nine thousand crores! Where is our region reaching now! Many projects have been started with this amount. Many have been completed. In this context, today several health related projects have either been inaugurated or their foundation stones have been laid. Your age-old demand has also been fulfilled. Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu received their first medical college after so many decades of independence. Till date both the Union Territories got only 15 seats in different places in a year. Now this new medical college with 150 seats is being started at a single place. This does not mean that we will stop at 150. As the work proceeds, the number of students will also increase.
Brothers and sisters,
Efforts are also being made to start a medical college from an alternative building from this year itself. I have also been told that in order to promote Medical Education, about 250 seats of Para Medical in Silvassa and 50 seats of Nursing in Daman have also been set up. These efforts will not only benefit young friends but will also help in improving the health services here.
Friends,
Apart from this college being built at a cost of Rs 200 crore, the network of Health and Wellness Center being built here will also make possible the best treatment for common diseases close to home. Dozens such Health and Wellness Centers have also been inaugurated here under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
Brothers and sisters,
Some of the beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat or the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana have been given cards a short while ago. The world's largest health care scheme is being discussed all over the world today. People are calling it Modicare. The reason is that under this scheme, every day more than 10 thousand poor people in the country are being treated for free. Now it has been a little over 100 days. In such a short time, about seven lakh poor patients have been treated in the hospitals.
Friends,
Besides medicine, the facility of education is also being expanded. A short while ago, new educational institutes have been dedicated to you here. The Education Hub of Diu and the myriad facilities will help its youth in availing good education close to their homes.
Brothers and sisters,
Besides medicines and education, the government is also ensuring that no poor remains homeless. The poor should not live without a roof over his head; he should have a pucca house to live in. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, a comprehensive campaign to provide pucca houses to the poor in the villages and cities is going on across the country. Taking a step forward towards this resolution, several houses have been inaugurated today in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. Moreover, the foundation stone for construction of new houses has also been laid a short while ago. It includes the Housing Project for worker families working in the industrial area of Daman. Today, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to those whose dreams of owning a house have been fulfilled and to those whose houses are already under construction. The dream of a new home has been fulfilled in the New Year.
Friends,
In the last four and a half years, in a small area like Dadra & Nagar Haveli, more than one thousand houses for the urban poor have been built. In the last four and a half years, the commitment, the speed and the scale at which the houses for the poor are being built is unprecedented. While the previous government could build only 25 lakh houses in their 5 year tenure, our government has now completed the construction of more than one crore 25 lakh houses in 5 years. See the contrast between 25 lakhs in 5 years and more than one crore 25 lakhs in 5 years!
Brothers and sisters,
These are not merely a house of four walls; the house has free electricity connection under the Saubhagya scheme; there is also a toilet. A free LPG gas connection is also provided under the Ujjwala scheme in the kitchen. Talking about Dadra & Nagar Haveli, free gas connections have been given to 13 thousand sisters here. All such facilities are proving to be helpful in boosting the confidence of the poor. Friends, smart systems are being made in the country to make the life of ordinary human beings simple and easy. Several plans are underway to make Silvassa and Diu smart cities. There are facilities like roads, streets, sewer and water supply system, and cleanliness facilities; work is being done at all levels. A short while ago, many projects related to smart city have either been inaugurated or their foundation-stones have been laid.
Friends,
Silvassa is the center of economic activities of this entire region. There are several industries here and in the future too there is a lot of potential for the growth of industries here. Be it the building of the Silvassa Municipal Corporation, or the Sewage Treatment Plant or the projects that facilitate connectivity. All of them are going to make life easier here.
Friends,
Daman and Diu along with Silvassa have also accelerated development. With the facilities like new bridge, new sewage line and treatment plant built on Daman Ganga, the life of the residents of Daman is going to be easy. At the same time, sea-wall built along Moti Daman is now going to protect you from the waves of the ocean. As a result, the problem of soil erosion has been controlled to a large extent. Friends, the last time I came here, land was distributed among many tribal families. Even today, I have had the opportunity to hand over the right to land to some friends.
Brothers and sisters,
Be it the land, forest produce, education, or talent related to sports, extensive efforts are being made for the welfare of tribals at every level. Centers are being set up across the country for value addition and proper marketing of the forest produce under the Van Dhan scheme. This is also to ensure that the tribal brothers and sisters get the right price for their forest produce. The Minimum Support Price has also been extended for the same.
Friends,
Serious efforts are being made to preserve the culture along with enhancing the income of tribal people. Even today, many projects related to history and cultural heritage have been started. Be it a cultural center, preservation of old forts or a Memorial site associated with INS Khukhari in Diu, it is certainly going to help in the preservation and propagation of local culture.
Friends,
This memorial known for culture, pride and history, is not only the sentinel of our feelings but also creates many employment opportunities for the youth. These boost the tourism. There is a lot of potential for tourism in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The government is making every effort to bring this region on the tourist map. The same idea goes behind the Daman Ganga river front built in Silvassa. Now another attraction center is ready for tourists visiting here. Besides this, there is also a reserve forest area of 200 square km. This forest area is a boon for Tourism Industry. Water sports activities can be increased in the catchment area of Madhuban Dam. In order to have better internet connectivity in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, efforts are being made to provide free Wi-Fi facilities at major tourist centers and important places.
Friends,
Besides tourism, traditional employment opportunities are also being strengthened. The government is working to increase the income of fishermen under the Blue Revolution scheme. Efforts are being made to make fishing and access to the market easier for fishermen sisters and brothers. The work of converting fishermen's traditional boats into modern motor boats is underway. A special fund has been created for easy and cheap loans to fishermen to improve the arrangements ranging from fish production to marketing. About 7500 crore rupees have been arranged through this fund.
Brothers and sisters
'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas' is the inspiration behind all the schemes being implemented today for the poor, the tribals, and the middle class, while the party which ran the government in the country for decades would look for self-interest or favouring a family. This was the reason why there was more emphasis on name than work then.
Friends,
We have changed that old work culture of the government. We have focused on the work rather than the name. What are the names of government schemes today? Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana; there are many such schemes, but none includes Modi's name. It shows that our intention is for the development of the people. We neither follow the culture nor do we have any intention of promoting one family. And for me, the 125 crore countrymen is my family and the welfare of these 125 crore countrymen is the path that I follow.
Friends,
This clear intention and clear policy is knocking them out. The fact that Modi is changing the old work culture of previous governments is hurting them. They have a problem as to why Modi is taking such strong action against corruption. Should we not fight against corruption? Shouldn’t the country get rid of corruption? They have trouble as to why Modi has thrown out the middlemen who used to be around those in power. They are exasperated as to why Modi is removing the middlemen who used to snatch away the rights, the ration and the pension of the poor. And because of this resentment, these people are now trying to form a grand alliance. The condition is such that those who used to curse the Congress earlier have also come on the same platform!
Friends,
This grand alliance is not only against Modi, but also against the people of the country. At present, most of them have not even come together. But the way bargaining is going on for seat-sharing and other things is being closely watched by the youth of the country, the farmers of the country, the women of the country as well as the youth of our country who will vote for the first time. And no one can befool these people.
Friends,
Each day of these people starts with hatred for Modi and ends with abusing Modi. My world, my morning begins with the resolution of the welfare of 125 crore countrymen and when I go to sleep at night after sweating all day, I feel satisfied on reflecting upon the good deeds done during the day. My day begins and ends in the same way whereas their world is focused on nepotism and they proclaim that with great pride. Brothers and sisters, my world is focused on the progress of 125 crore countrymen while they do not have the vision for India's development. They do not mention about India's future, but my attempt is to make India the best country in the world in the 21st century.
Brothers and sisters,
How many alliances can they make to save their families or their sultanate? They cannot run away from their actions. Their misdeeds are following them on the path; they cannot escape. Only Modi's opposition and selfish politics will help them find a place in the newspapers, and to shine in the media, but in the hearts of the people of the country, those who destroy the country will never find a place. Brothers and sisters, you probably do not know, those who get disconnected from the public, and when the people change their mood, their world falls apart and they become desperate. Now you look at the situation in Kolkata ... There is only one MLA of Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal, only one, how many? One, but to defeat the BJP there leaders from the entire country have gathered. A party with a single MLA has made their lives difficult, as we walk the path of truth. Despite BJP having only a single MLA, the entire political community from India is shouting slogans of 'Save, Save, Save'. I congratulate the people of West Bengal. I congratulate the Bharatiya Janata Party of West Bengal. A single MLA of such a small party is giving sleepless nights to the wrongdoers; their world is falling apart;, and they have united due to fear.
Brothers and sisters,
These people are not only dictators, be it West Bengal, be it Kerala, they are also oppressors at every step. A political party in West Bengal was not allowed to hold its programmes. All kinds of democratic processes are strangled. Thereafter, they gather there and deliver speeches on saving democracy! In view of this, I just want to say that when I see the picture of the entire West Bengal, when those who strangle democracy and kill the candidates of Panchayat elections talk about saving democracy, then the country exclaims - 'Wow! What a scene!' Friends, this fight is between positive thinking and negative attitude. This fight is between development and corruption; this fight is between the people and the grand alliance. Brothers and sisters, positive thinking and right efforts are the way to build a New India. We all, the people of the country, have to walk at a fast pace on this path. This positivity is increasing in our minds and every corner of the country in this New Year. With this desire, we are moving forward with the decision to take the country to new heights; and you see brothers and sisters, I have started since morning. Indian Army should get the benefit of 'Make in India’; the Indian Army should have robust tanks made indigenously. So in the morning I had gone there to increase the strength of the Indian army. And now I have come here in Diu and Daman to ensure public safety and working to ensure medical colleges for the young friends here. Brothers and sisters, in Kolkata, people are working together to save their party, while I am with you and working hard to take the country forward; the difference is clear friends. This difference is obvious. They are looking for support to save themselves, while I am working with the mantra of 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas' to develop the country, and today, in such a small region of Diu and Daman, the blessings showered by you all and love shown by you all by coming here in such large numbers depict the mood of India. This Diu and Daman is a mini India. People from every corner of India live here. As I was coming here by car, I saw a mini India on both the sides; people from every state of India were standing in their regional attire. Then I walked and bowed to them and came before you all. Brothers, we have to move the country forward.
Brothers and sisters,
There will be various people who die for the party. We are dedicated to fulfilling your dreams. Thank you very much for your blessings and say along with me loudly.
Bharat Mata ki Jai!
Bharat Mata ki Jai!
Bharat Mata ki Jai!
Thanks a lot!